Stop-clock.



No. 788,619. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. L WITTE STOP CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1903.

I/yI/ENTOR M Qm B y @flomeys W1 TNESSES:

awm I Patented May 2, 1965.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

LOUIS WITTE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

STOP-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,619, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed June 8, 1903. Serial No. 160.491.

To all 1071 0712, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LoUIs WITTE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop-Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

In racing homing pigeons the owner of the bird is given a stop-clock inclosed in a casing which has an opening into which a band, which has been placed upon the bird when it is let loose from the starting-place, may be inserted through the opening, the closing of which starts the clock to running, and, as the clock has been set at a certain hour when given to the owner, when the clock is handed in to the recorder the time when the bird arrived can be figured out from the length of time the clock has been running. ith the clocks at present in use one who wished to practice a fraud upon the recorder might oscillate the clock, causing it to run faster, and thereby falsely indicate that the bird had been in for a longer time than it really had.

The object of my invention is a stop-clock for use in racing homing pigeons which cannot be tampered with so as to gain time and which likewise has a novel means of holding the clock against running.

I will now describe my invention in connection with accompanying drawings, referring to which- Figurel is a front elevation of a stop-clock embodying my invention used for timing two birds. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the front plate of the casing removed to expose the interior. Fig. 4 is a detail perspec tive view of the bell-crank lever which car ries the stop-arm which contacts one of the pinions of the train of gears in the clock to hold it against movement. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the clock-gearing, showing the vibratory arm for contacting the balance-wheel to prevent tampering with the clock and likewise the position of the stoparm. Fig. 6 is a detailed horizontal sectional view, upon an enlarged scale, of the sliding door, taken upon line no of Fig. 2. 5 Fig. 7 is a detailed side elevation of the bellcrank lever, the second-hand, and the sliding bar which contacts the lever, the full line showing the pinion of the second-hand in its free position, the dotted line showing it in its stopped position.

Referring to the parts, clocks A A are located in the ends of an elongated casing B, and centrally between them are located two elongated boxes C C, whose open ends register with perforations 7) 6 upon the sides of the casing. Adjacent to each clock is a lug 7) 7i upon the bottom of easing B, to which are pivoted two bell-crank levers D 1), against the under side of which springs (Z d, secured to the bottom of the casing, hear. The levers D I) each carry a stop-arm d d, which project through a perforation in the side of the casing of the clock directly above pinion E, which is mounted upon the shaft of the second-hand 0.

Upon the outside of casing 13 adjacent to perforations b I) are two sliding doors F F, which have secured to them studs ff, which project through slots in the side of the casing and are secured upon the inside to sliding bars f f, each of which has a notch f f in its upper edge. hen the doors F F are pushed away from their central position, so as to leave the openings 7) Z) uncovered, the bars contacting the arms of the bell-crank D lower the end (Z of the bell-crank lever and cause. the stop-arm d" to press down upon the pinion I] of the second-hand and holds the clock from movement. \Vhen either one of the doors F F is moved toward its central position, so as to cover perfm'ations 7) 5, end I (Z of the bell-crank is lowered by falling into notches f 0117", (see Fig. 7,) raising arm (1, carrying stop-arm (V out of contact with the pinion of the second-hand and causing the clock to start running.

The train of gearing in the clock is that in ordinary clocks, as is likewise the balance wheel (Jr. Mounted upon the frame of the clock is a flexible spring-arm II, which has its loose end turned vertically to form a vibratory arm 70, which stands when at rest adjacent to the balance-wheel Cr. Arm b has mounted upon it a small weight it. The wire H is mounted in a manner such that any movement causes the arm 71 to vibrate, and any unusual movementor continual shaking of the clock will cause the vibratory arm it to swing back and forth, so as to contact the radiating studs g upon the balance-wheel, so that the balance-wheel is caused to move less rapidly and as a consequence the clock is made to lose time. I have found that the sec ond-hand is the best one to have the pressure of the stop-arm contact, since it requires less pressure to stop it and since it is in a most convenient place for the entrance of the stoparm and is likewise not so susceptible to getting out of order.

With the use of my vibratory arm such a thing as tampering with the clock to cause it to run faster is impossible, since such tampering would only cause the clock to lose time.

In use one who has homing pigeons in a race is given a stop-clock inclosed in a locked case and set at a certain hour, the doors F F being pushed back so as to leave the openings 5 b uncovered. When a bird reaches its home roost, the band is removed from its leg and placed in one of the boxes C, and the door F is then pushed over to close the opening Z), and the lever D engages the notch f, thereby locking the door against opening and simultaneously starting the clock to running. \Vhen the clock is delivered to the recorder, it indicates how long the bird has been in. With my clock this indication is absolutely accurate, since any tampering with the clock would cause it to lose time and such tampering would not be done, since it is to the interest of the owner to have the clock indicate that his bird has been in as great a length of time as possible.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination of a clock, a casing inclosing same having an opening in it, means for closing and uncovering the opening whereby the closing starts the clock and the uncovering stops it and a vibratory arm hung adjacent to the balance-wheel of the clock to contact and retard said wheel when the clock is shaken, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination a clock, a balance-wheel, and a vibratory arm hung adjacent to the balance-wheel of the clock so as to contact the same when the clock is shaken, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a casing having an opening in it, a clock mounted therein, a bellcrank lever pivoted adjacent to the clock, a stop-arm upon one end of the lever to contact the pinion of the second-hand when that end is lowered, a sliding member for closing the opening having a notch in it to register with the other arm of the bell-crank when the opening is closed, whereby the stop-arm is held out of contact with the pinion when the opening is uncovered and the sliding door is locked in its closed position by the lever simultaneously with the carrying of the stoparm out of contact with the pinion, substantially as shown and described.

I. In combination a clock, a balance-wheel, a wire secured at one end to the clock-frame and having its free end bent into a vertical arm, which stands adjacent to the balanccwheel so as to contact said wheel when the clock is shaken, substantially as shown and described.

LOUIS \VIT'LE.

Witnesses:

G-no. J, I\IURRAY, \V. F. MURRAY. 

